The present invention relates to a system and a method respectively for customizing wireless, generic communication units. The invention also relates to a generic, wireless communication unit.
The use of wireless communication units, such as for example cellular telephones is increasing rapidly all over the world. This means that the number of destination markets is growing steadily. The markets differ from one another in a number of aspects since different languages are used, different cultural aspects have to be taken into account etc. and also in other respects various needs and demands have to be taken into account. This complicates the situation for manufacturers of wireless communication units since for every market, different software sets for the communication units intended for the respective particular markets have to be provided, which causes complex and continuously changing situations since the markets are continuously evolving. The appropriate software intended for a particular market has to be introduced into communication units intended for each specific market and it is also a tendency to more specifique local adaptations of the telephones which necessitates the generation of even more particularly adapted software sets. Communication units, such as for example cellular telephones, also tend to get more and more complicated to handle for a user in order to enable for increasing ability to provide for adaptation to user specific needs and services. Therefore for example cellular telephones get more and more similar to computers and allow a high degree of programmability. A common problem today is that the users do not bother about all the functionalities and services that actually are provided for through the telephones, since it is too complicated, which means that the provision of adaptation possibilities and service offers are not taken advantage of to an extent that corresponds to the intention of the telephone manufacturers, service providers etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,082 shows a system permitting remote access to cellular telephone RACT programming through PSTN. Operational data are stored in the remote access cellular telephone and it comprises an erasable memory for storing such operational data and processing means connected to the memory which is programmed to manipulate the operational data, an audio bus for transmission of audio frequency signals and a modem comprising an audio part connected to the bus and a data part connected to the processing means. The modem is operable to communicate data between the processing means and said audio bus. The system furthermore comprises signal detection means for detecting audio signals having predetermined parameters. This invention relates to the internal structure of the telephone and it is intended for analogue systems and thus does not solve the problems of providing a wide flexibility, simple telephones and particularly it does not relate to digital communication systems.
JP-A-7 067 174 shows a digital mobile telephone system including a downloading function for extended software and DE-A-4 321 381 discusses downloading of new or altered software into a memory of a telephone using a personal computer. WO 96/32679 relates to updating of software in mobile telephones. Managing hosts and an enchanced service complex are used for providing the update. However, none of these documents shows a really personally adapted or market adapted telephone which is easy to fabricate and handle, e.g. to distribute, for the manufacturer and easy and flexible to handle for the user.